Outcasts
by Icy.Moonlight
Summary: The three clans are gone, and the remaining cats have little hope for survival. But three kits arrive. And little do the cats know, their blood may be just what Starclan desires...
1. Chapter One

((Well, my old computer completely died and for some reason, the original version of this story did as well. So here it is, rewritten...))

"Aren't they beautiful?" asked the snow-white she cat. Her lithe body was curled around three small kits who wriggled about and cried. A dark ginger male padded over and looked over the she-cats shoulder. A hint of confusion glistened in his jade eyes. He said nothing, but lay down behind her, placing his chin onto her rib cage. The white female turned her head around to look at her mate. "Aren't they, Firefury?" she repeated with a slight edge to her graceful voice. The red male glanced down at the three small creatures. His noes twitched slightly, as if to show his discomfort.

The white female turned away from her mate with a snort. The three kits writhed about, searching for milk. "What shall we name them...?" she asked, mostly to herself. The tom grunted and stood.

"That," came his deep voice as he stalked off, "is entirely up to you." The she-cat's eyes followed his, then returned to the little bundles at her chest.

* * *

The brush was silent as a small white figure padded through. His snout parted the leaves ever so slowly. His target: a small, red kitten, her flanks rising and falling with sleep. With a quick flick of his hind legs, he was in the air, and he landed heavly onto his sister. The red kit let out a shriek and writhed about under his stronger paws. "Leave me alone, Icekit!" she wailed. Her back claws dug wildly into the air, missing the young tom by inches.

"That's enough, both of you" snarled Firefury. He picked the white kitten up by the scruff and tossed him aside. The white tom began to snicker.

"It's not my fault if Bloodkit can't defend herself," he replied, but a hiss from the older tom silenced him.

A small ginger tom nudged Bloodkit, helping her stand. She shook him off. "I'm fine, Firekit," she hissed. He said nothing in reply.

The white female padded up behind her mate, dropping her paw between him and the three kittens. "You," she whispered to her mate. "Come with me."

The ginger tom followed his mate's white tail as she climbed into the brush, just out of earshot of the three kits. Firefurytired his best to follow close, but she slid so easily between the leaves that he could hardly see her white form. But he knew where she was going. Emerging into the clearing, he saw his mate sitting atop a small stump. Her head was bowed and her teeth were parted slightly. She turned to him as he entered and softly hissed, "What are we going to do?"

Firefury's chest rumbled. "What /you/ are going to do is trust me. There is no reason for you to stay in the forest." He padded around her, his eyes avoiding her entirely. "It's my duty to keep you safe at any cost." He paused. "Which is why you are going to find the remaining clan cats." He glanced at her. Her head was down again, as if she were counting the rings of the stump.

"Snowshimmer?" the red tom whispered, an unusual weakness to his voice.

Snowshimmer sighed. She didn't want to leave the land she was born on and that her clan had died on. Silence held the two cats for a few moments before the she-cat broke. "You are right, Firefury" she whispered "If thing aren't better by next moon..." She was cut off by the sharp bark of a dog. The two cats held completely still. The barking grew, before fading away into the night. Firefury looked at the white she-cat, but her aqua eyes held no fear. She looked at her mate and said sternly, "We should get back to the kits."

Watched her disappear into the brush. Only then did he sit in the dirt and sigh. In the moonlight, his age showed through silver hairs on his snout. "How could this happen?" he whispered. "How could I let this happen?" But the forest offered no reply...


	2. Chapter Two

((As a word of warning, I am an atrocious speller. So if my spell-checker missed anything, I am sorry.))

Snowshimmer awoke as the sharp bark of a dog broke the silence. She glanced down at her kits. The three little cats had not been affected by the noise. "It's okay. We'll be safe..." she said, mostly to herself. Another bark filled the night air, muffled snarls. The white she-cat looked up into the night sky. The moon shone powerfully tonight, just as it was when she last spoke to Firefury. He had not said a word since that night at Broken Stump, nor had he been present much. Icekit kicked in his sleep, shaking her from her thoughts. She stood, careful not to wake her kittens, and went of in search of her mate.

The time had come. She had to be strong.

* * *

Firefury hissed as he was prodded from sleep. But the white tail he saw resting near his face relaxed him. His mate looked down at him, her eyes full of sadness. "This will be the last time I see you," she said.

The red tom sat. "I know."

"And I just wanted to tell you," she said, her eyes lowered. "That I forgive you, for everything you have done in the past." The red tom's eyes lightened as he looked up at her. His teeth parted as he prepared to speak. But he silenced himself. She did not truly mean it. All of those he had hurt, all of her loved ones he had killed, all of the danger he had put her in. She could not truly forgive him.

He shook his head. "I know..."

Snowshimmer know this was all she would manage to get out of him. She nodded professionally and padded back to her kits. Her heart ached for her mate, but he knew that she was doing the right thing. She could no longer think of herself.

"I must be strong. For the kits..." she whispered as her shoulders broke through the forest's thick brambles. She sat atop a hill and looked down and the chaos below. Stacks of trees were piled on sleeping monsters, and a deep hole was cut from the ground, its insides scattered about the sight in large piles. Snowshimmer was use to this sight, but it still broke her heart whenever she sighted it.

Her kits had just begun to wake. She rounded them up and began to head towards FrostClan territory. She looked back, but she could not see her mate.

The rising sun peaked over the sight, illuminating the mountains in a blanket of soft orange. Snowshimmer watched the sunrise as they walked, feeling herself slowly relax. But the feeling was lost as the pungent smell of clan cat filled her noes. The brambles rustled softly and a small black body pushed through, followed by a muscular gray female and a black and white kit. "My, my," said the black tom. "What do we have here?"

"My name is Snowshimmer," she said bravely. "And I have come to seek refuge from FrostClan."

The black tom's eyes narrowed. "We are not looking for rouges. Take your kits and leave." Icekit hissed and the clan kitten hissed back. Although the clan cat was older that him, Icekit held his ground. But Firekit huddled behind Snowshimmer's tail.

The gray female flicked the black and white kitten with her tail. "I am Stormcloud," she said confidently. "I would be glad to present you to our leader, and-"

But the black tom cut her off. "We will /not/ be taking rouges to Midnightstar. We are not a charity here."

"She has a warrior name, Thornscreech. And we are obligated to take her and her kits to camp." The gray she-cat turned away from the black tom and smiled. "Please follow me..."

(( Please review, guys. I'd love to hear what you have to say!))


	3. Chapter Three

The camp was small. A few poorly-made dens lined the outer regions of the forest clearing. Snowshimmer caught glimpses of shinning eyes from inside the bracken. /This is what is left of the great FrostClan?/ she thought to herself. She looked back to find that her kits were not lagging. They huddled close to her.

"Wait here," Stormcloud said abruptly. Snowshimmer nodded, her eyes wide. Just as the gray female disappeared into a narrow crack in the mountain rock, the small black tom pushed his way through her kittens and stood as close to her face as possible.

"Listen to me now," he hissed softly. "I do not like the idea of your presence here." Snowshimmer's eyes narrowed. Even though this tom was smaller that her, he held an intensity in his eyes that made he uncomfortable. "And," he continued. "If Midnightstar rejects you, you must never show paw or tail here again." He paused, chuckled, and red his tail over Bloodkit's head. "Or I'll rip out your kittens entrails. Do we have a deal?"

Snowshimmer struggled to form words in her mouth. "Understood," she said softly, meekly. The black cat let out one last grunt and padded off. Firekit had begun to mew with fear. The white she-cat licked his head slowly, chewing over what Thornscreech had just stated.

"Snowshimmer..." came a confident female voice. She looked up to see a proud white and black she-cat. The cat had a look of curiosity in her eyes, but they smiled as she say Snowshimmer respond. "Hello," she said warmly. "I am Midnightstar, leader of FrostClan. Stormcloud here tells me that you are looking for refuge?"

Snowshimmer nodded. "That is correct"

The white and black leader nodded in approval. "I welcome all cats here. Ever since the death of SkyClan and AshClan, we have been attempting to make the forest whole again." She smiled again. "In other words, we are overjoyed to have you and your kits." Thornscreech snorted. The white mother glanced at him. She had not even seen him approach. Midnightstar flicked the black tom with her tail. "Please don't mind my deputy." Bloodkit laughed softly from beneath her mother's tail as she saw a shocked look in the black tom's eyes.

"But, Snowshimmer. You must understand this. We are weak," the leader admitted. "And by joining us, you and your kits will be worked harder than ever before. Will you accept these terms."

She looked down at her kits, who stared back at her. She notices the scratches on their noeses. Firekit's eye was badly infected, and Bloodkit was covered in brambles. They needed this opportunity more than she did.

"I accept," she said with confidence.

Midnightstar smiled. "Then may I be the first to welcome you four to FrostClan..."


	4. Cats of Frostclan

**Frostclan**

Leader

Midnightstar- White she-cat with unusual black stripes

Deputy

Thornscreech- Small black tom

Medicine Cat

Finchfeather- Beautiful golden tabby she-cat

Warriors

Stormcloud- Gray, long-furred she-cat  
(App: Pebblepaw)

Foxclaw- Small brown tom with white paws  
(App: Silentpaw)

Dewstep- Light tabby tom with a dappled pelt

Goldenleaf- White she-cat with a tortoiseshell back

Apprentices

Pebblepaw- Black and white she-cat

Silentpaw- Black tabby tom

Queens

Silvercreek- Silver she-cat with a sleek pelt  
(Kits: Clearkit and Tigerkit)

Elders

Jaysong- Blue-gray tom

Kits

Clearkit- Silver she-cat

Tigerkit- Dark brown tabby tom

((Tell me what you think of my names. Any you particularly love or hate? Please tell me!))


	5. Chapter Four

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath Highstones for a clan meeting."

It had been one day since the Snowshimmer and her kits had entered FrostClan. And it was time for her kit's to become apprentices.

Snowshimmer looked up at the white-and-black leader as she summoned her clan. The bracken surrounding the camp broke to expose the small den-like structures from which a few cats climbed from. As the warriors took their places in front of Highstones, two small apprentices climbed out of a similar den and padded over to sit with their older clan mates.

"I, Midnightstar, leader of FrostClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this loner," Midnightstar called from atop the mound. Her eyes shone with an unusual sort of pride. "She has come to us in our time of need, and has already been trained in the ways of a warrior. Snowshimmer, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Snowshimmer dipped her head slightly. "I do."

"Then by the powers of Starclan, I accept you into FrostClan," Midnightstar continued. "We welcome you Snowshimmer, as a full warrior of Frostclan."

Snowshimmer waited for the chanting of her name, but none came. "We are not that desperate!" yowled an older blue-gray tom from the back of the group. "FrostClan can fend for ourselves without the help of loners." The white she-cat flinched as she heard yowls of agreement emanating from the crowd.

"Stop!" called a gray she-cat, who Snowshimmer recognized to be Stormcloud. "Listen to me! We have already been threatened by dogs and the humans. And we are weak." She paused. Her long, gray fur caught the breeze. "Our acceptance of each other has gotten us as far as we are. Don't fotget that..."

Midnightstar nodded. "Thank you Stormcloud." She turned back to the white mother. "Snowshimmer, Goldenleaf will help you as you settle into the clan." A white and tortoiseshell she-cat stood and bowed her head.

"Yes, Midnightstar," she said in her soft, airy voice. Midnightstar nodded and turned her attention to the three kittens. They had been groomed and stood all in a line, but Snowshimmer could see that they were becoming restless.

"Icekit, Firekit, and Bloodkit have reached the age of six moons and are now ready to become apprentices," Midnightstar called. She nodded at the first kit in line. "Icekit!" she said and the white kitten padded up to stand beside the leader. His eyes told the crowd he was not impressed.

"From this day until you receive your warrior name, you will be Icepaw!" called Midnightstar. But Bloodkit's eyes slowly began to close. She was not tired, but she could not help it. As her first brother meet his mentor, she fell into a deep daydream...

* * *

_Three cat's were gathered around a large crystalline structure. Two sat, and the third stood with his muscles tenced. They were only silhouettes in the dark, but Bloodkit could tell that they could not see her. /Hello?/ she called out, but no noise came from her throat. The cats did not move. Bloodkit felt a stiff breeze, and one cat called through the darkness. "Why are you doing this?" It was a female. Swiftly, the standing cat lunged at her, and there was a sharp yowl..._

* * *

"Bloodkit!" called Midnightstar, and the dark ginger kitten looked up. She quickly remembered where she was and padded up to meet her leader.

"From this day until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Bloodpaw! May Starclan watch over you as you work your way towards becoming a warrior!" Bloodpaw lifted her head as the chants echoed around her, some forced, other genuine.

Midnightstar turned her head to the white/tortoiseshell she-cat. "Dewstep!" she called. The heavy form of the tom slid to the front of the crowd and stood beside his leader. "You have trained many apprenteces before this one. Teach Bloodpaw all she needs to know to become a great warrior like yourself."

Dewstep spoke softly, but his voice was deep. "I will." He touched his nose to the dark ginger she-cat.

"I have faith in all three of you. Train hard, young ones, for the Clan needs you," Midnightstar concluded.

Bloodpaw and Firepaw nodded. But Icekit only hissed under his breath...

(( I know the ceremony sounded a bit awkward. I didn't really know how to word it...))


	6. Chapter Five

A dark ginger tom sat on top of a hill, looking over the wreckage. The two-leg monsters were awake and mounds of dirt filled their paws as they dug into the ground. Tall, metallic structures seemed to have grown from the earth. His eye darted to the mountains, and in his mind, he pictured Snowshimmer. With a sigh, he turned around and padded back into the brush.

* * *

_There were dogs. Dogs everywhere. Dog ripping into the fur of her new clan mates. Dogs with blood dripping from their long fangs. The smell of blood was unbearable. Snowshimmer looked around for an escape, but she was completely surrounded. Then, she felt a sharp pain in her hind leg. She was caught. The dog's teeth sunk deeper into her white fur and she was pulled her deeper into the battle. Snowshimmer tried to struggle free, but the dog was too strong. Blood pooled around her, plastering her white fur to her body in thick chunks. Her vision slowly blackened, and all became silent._

Snowshimmer woke with a start. It was just a dream. But the screams; they were so real. It was almost as if she had been given a taste of the future.

* * *

Goldenleaf smiled brightly. "You are doing very well, Icepaw!" she cooed. "But next time, pounce sooner." The tortoiseshell she-cat crouched down and demonstrated the proper pouncing technique. "Alright?"

Icepaw raised an eyebrow, but he imitated his mentor as best as he could. "Very good!" she mewed. The white tom glanced over at his sister. Dewstep was still trying to teach her how to stalk her prey quietly. He chuckled to himself. /With luck, maybe she'll master it before I become a warrior,/ he thought, and chuckled again.

He turned to see Goldenleaf watching him silently. "Let's take a break for a while, Icepaw," she suggested. She was overly cheery today, as usual. It made Icepaw sick. He nodded stiffly and padded away with a few sharp tail flicks.

Firepaw, who had not even started his training, sat in the shade, encouraging his sister. The light ginger tom jumped as Icepaw sat beside him. "How badly has she been doing?" he asked. Firepaw looked at him with a grave sort of confusion.

"She's slowly getting better," he replied softly. "You should have more faith in her." Icepaw snorted at this remark, which made Firepaw jump again.

Eventually, Dewstep proposed a break, which Bloodpaw reluctantly accepted. "Why don't we do eat?" she asked her brothers. Firepaw agreed, but the white tom narrowed his eyes.

"I'm not hungry," he said sharply and padded off.

Firepaw watched him leave. "What is wrong with him?" he asked his sister, but Bloodpaw shook her head.

"You know what's wrong with me, Firepaw?" the white tom whispered to himself. "You are. You and Bloodpaw." He chuckled. "I can't wait until I'm a warrior. Maybe things will change..."


	7. Chapter Six

_"Firepaw?" came a voice in the young cat's ear._

_The light ginger tom opened his eyes to find himself in a strange forest. Around him, the trees sparkled with their own light. He stood, his paws gliding over the forest floor. His image refracted back at him from the leaves, as if they were made of ice. "H-hello?" he stuttered into the shadows._

_"Firepaw, come here," came the deep, gentle voice again. He looked over his shoulder to see a silver tabby tom. He smiled at Firepaw. "Hello, young one. I'm glad you have finally awoken. I was afraid I would not be able to speak with you."_

_"Who are you?" Firepaw replied. He tried to back up, but the lucid floor would not allow him too._

_The tabby tom smiled. "That does not matter here," he stated. "But what matters is what I am about to show you..." Firepaw felt himself sinking into the ground. Around him was tall grass. Young kittens pranced and pawed at each other amongst the blades. The ginger tom tried to call out, but he no sound escaped his throat. The air roared around him as the grass spontaneously caught fire. His vision slowly faded to red._

* * *

Firepaw awoke in the medicine cat's den. He had come for his eye infection, but the Medicine Cat had him stay over night. But this did not matter, for Thornscreech continuously postponed his training. The apprentice shook his head. The dream was nothing but a blur to him now, although it had been very vivid. It was as if it was a long-lost memory, trying to surface. But there was something holding it back.

"Good morning, Firepaw," came a lower female voice. He looked up to see the morning light shinning off of Finchfeather's pelt. She turned away from her herb collection and padded over to him. "How is your eye today?"

"Much better, Finchfeather," he replied. She tipped his head back forcefully and examined his eye.

"Very good," she added and nodded sternly. "I should just apply some more-"

"Aloe," he said swiftly, and she looked down at him with a questioning glance. Firepaw shrewed away from her eyes.

"Yes," she said slowly. "Very good."

She applied the pulp to his eye, just as his sister entered. "How are you, Firepaw?" she asked, but she was more interested in Finchfeather's activities. Bloodpaw poked her noes into the Aloe Vera pulp and quickly recoiled. She was then welcomed with a swift bat to the back of her head by the Medicine Cat.

Firepaw smiled at his sister. "Much better now, thank you. How is training?"

Bloodpaw's eyes shifted. "Not too well," she admitted. Firepaw's eyes softened for his sister.

"Well, this afternoon, Thornscreech and I could come train with you and Icepaw," the ginger tom suggested. Bloodpaw smiled and nodded, but she wondered if Icepaw would accept.

"But I have to talk to you, Bloodpaw," he whispered. The dark ginger she-cat narrowed her eyes. "I had a strange dream last night. I met this cat. And for some reason, he seemed very familiar."

"Strange," Bloodpaw replied. "I had a vision of a cat on the day of our ceremony, and she seemed very familiar as well."

The ginger tom nodded. "We shall ask Dewstep today. He will be able to explain…"


	8. Chapter Seven

A swift bat of Dewstep's paw sent Bloodpaw sliding into the brush. The dark ginger apprentice mewed with anger and attempted to untangle herself from the brambles. "It is alright, Bloodpaw!" called Dewstep. "We will try again." The light tabby warrior gripped his apprentice's scruff and pulled her from the brush with a simple tug.

"I don't believe I will ever master this," Bloodpaw responded as she pulled briars from her fur.

Her mentor chuckled. "Watch your brother and imitate him," the warrior suggested. Bloodpaw watched as Icepaw circled his mentor in a crouched position. As Goldenleaf struck, he recoiled slightly so as to miss her claws and pounced onto her back. The young warrior twisted, but Icepaw locked his claws into her ribcage, blatantly disregarding Goldenleaf's safety.

Bloodpaw cocked her head up to her mentor who watched the white apprentice with curious eyes. "Dewstep?" mewed his apprentice and the warrior broke his stare.

"Yes, well," he said quickly. "Gather your brothers, young one. I have a story to tell you all."

* * *

"Faster, Firepaw!" Thornscreech called. Another hard blow landed on the apprentice's flank, and he yowled in pain. "You would have been dead by now!" the black tom continued. Firepaw avoided another savage blow and retreated quickly.

"Please, Thornscreech!" he mewed. "May we stop for a while?" Just as the black tom began to advance, Bloodpaw approached the rocky clearing.

"Dewstep has summoned us," she said. Firepaw released his breath and sprinted after his sister, closely followed by his mentor.

* * *

Dewstep had found himself a comfortable position atop a rocky outlook and was contemplating the clouds as the three apprentices entered. He turned to them and smiled warmly. "Have you three ever heard the story of the original clans?" The three kittens exchanged glanced, but all shook their head. Dewstep nodded and began.

"Back in the time of the Green Grass, the three clan's thrived on this mountain side. Frostclan resided on the rocky side of the mountain, as we still do to this day. Skyclan made their dens in the tall grass of the plains, eating rabbits and running with the winds. And Ashclan lived in the forest just at the bottom of the mountains. These three clans had different ideas of how their clan should be run. During the Gatherings ever moon, they would fight and bicker, none of them able to reach an agreement.

"Now, Frostclan proudly guarded Shimmering Stones. These stones were thought to be the earthy manifestations of the cats who resided in Starclan. But when the twolegs discovered Shimmering Stones, they began to remove the shinning rocks from the walls of the cave, thus destroying the souls of their owners in Starclan. With this action, Ashclan fully rejected the existence of Starclan. They believed that Starclan would have never let this happen if they truly existed.

"Frostclan was forced also to move further up the mountain side to avoid the twolegs. This cut them off perminently from the two remaining clans, which possibly lead to their demise.

"The twolegs had begun destroying the forest as well, making it hard for Ashclan to find enough food. To gain more territory, the battle-loving cats of Ashclan eventually declared war on Skyclan. But the Skyclan cats were weak. As Skyclan warriors began to die, the remaining members blamed the clan's leader for their failure. They believed that a she-cat could never properly govern a clan. With that, they banished her.

"But this war was all in vain, for the twolegs had already begun to rip up the grasses of the plains.

"After that, Ashclan receded deeper into the forest. No one knows for certain what caused the clan's death. But the story is that their leader was assassinated. They say that it was the deputy who caused his death. They say that he was in love with a Skyclan cat who was killed during the battle. He went crazy and killed as many clan cats as he possibly could, before disappearing into the forest."

Firepaw's eyes narrowed as Dewstep finished. "Who was the deputy?"

The light tabby warrior shook his head. "No one knows for certain. But the rouges of the area just call him 'The Flame...'"


	9. Chapter Eight

((Man, I've been updating a lot lately. And I'm sorry about how boring it is. I'll try to add some action next time.))

Icepaw began to laugh, causing Firepaw to jump. "Do you two really believe this?" he scoffed as his siblings watched him with narrowed eyes. "'The Flame,'" he continued with a fake eerie edge to his voice.

Dewstep shook his head and smiled knowingly. "I only pass on what I know, young ones," he admitted. He turned his head to the sky again for a few moment before saying, "Why do we not go hunting for a while."

Thornscreech snorted. But Goldenleaf nodded exuberantly. "Excellent idea, Dewstep. Icepaw can show you all what a good job he has been doing." Her honey-laced voice made Icepaw wrinkle his noes.

But Thornscreech's eye widened slightly as she spoke. He opened his mouth and paused for a second before he added, "Alright."

* * *

A dark ginger form stalked through the thick mountain brush. Jaws slightly agape, she drank in the scents of her surroundings. The sour, yet delicious smell of crow filled the air. /I have never caught a bird before,/ the she-cat thought. /This is my chance to impress Dewstep./

Bloodpaw coiled herself. The large, black bird rested on the ground. It's loud caws masked the sounds the cat's paws made. She tensed her legs, and sprinted towards the bird, her paws dancing over the mountain rock. The bird, scening her rapid approach, took off, leaving the ginger she-cat to bowl through the dirt.

But the bird was lighter than she. Little did Bloodpaw know, she had positioned herself on a precarious ledge. And her weight caused the rocks to crumble. The she-cat yowled as she slid down the rocky cliff. Her paws wildly grasped at the smooth surface. Her small body bounced from rock to rock. "Bloodpaw!" she heard from above, but she could not respond. She hit the ground with a dull thud, and her world went dark.

* * *

"How is she doing?"

"Much better, Firepaw. She's lucky to have a brother who cares so much for her," replied Finchfeather in her deep female voice.

The light ginger tom looked down on his sleeping sister and sighed. "What have you been using for her ankle?" he asked.

"Comfrey," she replied quickly, not looking up from her herb pile. "Why are you so interested?"

The ginger tom was silent. His mentor was not supportive. He could not hunt or fight as well as his siblings or the other apprentices. And Finchfeather was so nice, always answering his questions, unlike Thornscreech. Plus, the medicine cat's den smelled so nice...

"Firepaw?" Finchfeather asked. "How is your warrior training going for you?"

The apprentice looked up at her with a pained glisten in his eyes. "It's almost like..." He paused "It's almost like I will not be ready to become a warrior. Bloodpaw has been making improvements and Icepaw has always been a fighter. I don't think I will ever make Starclan proud if I am ever a warrior."

The golden tabby she-cat nodded sternly. "Then don't become a warrior," she replied. Firepaw looked up at her, shocked. Did she not believe in Starclan? But Finchfeather continued. "Instead of becoming a warrior, come and be _my_ apprentice..."


	10. Chapter Nine

_One Moon Passes_

The dark ginger she-cat crouched as the muscular white tom towered over her. A hiss escaped from between her teeth. The tom's eyes were narrowed. and his fangs peeked from under his lips. A quick movement from the she-cat started the brawl, her paws dancing over the earth as she scratched deeply into her brother's skin. A white paw responded to her with a heavy blow to the head, sending the female sailing into a tree.

She let out a grunt as she hit the ground, but lifted herself back to her feet as the male reared. Her paws brought her around his back, allowing her to latch on and bite securely into his spine. A swift toss of his body against the tree broke the she-cat's grip, and she fell to the ground, dazed. "It's over, Bloodpaw," he hissed in his low voice as his jaws wrapped around her throat.

"Excellent work, Icepaw!" cooed Goldenleaf. The white tom broke his stance as she spoke and hissed softly.

"You, as well, Bloodpaw," acknowledged Dewstep, the hefty warrior pushing his way between the siblings. The white tom let out another hiss. "But next time," he continued. "Don't dance around as much. It's great to confuse your opponent, but you my confuse yourself as well." The ginger she-cat nodded, but her mind was clouded with the image of her brother decending onto her.

* * *

"We need yarrow," mewed Finchfeather from inside the cracked tree. "And some poppy seeds." She emerged, carrying a wad of foul-smelling moss. "Do you think you could get some for me while I tend to the elders?"

Firepaw cocked his head. "But, Jaysong is usually my responsability."

"I know," replied the golden tabby. "But you know where to find each. I trust you." And with that, she padded from the Medicine Cat's den with a flick of her tail.

It was sunhigh, making the sharp rocks seem ever more treturous. /I should have brought Bloodpaw or Icepaw with me/ he thought as his eyes scanned his surroundings. His light eyes caught a glimps of the small, white flower heads. "Yarrow," he mewed and bit some off at the stalk.

As he lifted his head to test the air, the ground dropped from under him. With a mew, his body fell a few feet. He found himself on the edge of the forest. Glancing up, he realized that there was no way for him to return to the top of the rock. With a solf hiss, he marched back towards camp, until a strong scent filled his nose.

"Goldenleaf, please," came the voice. Following the sound, Firepaw found Thornscreech. He sat in the brush, his head bowed as the tortoiseshell she-cat looked down on him. "I would do anything for you. I love you."

Goldenleaf sniffed. "This has gone too far, Thornscreech," she growled. "i refused you kindly the first few times. I told you that I would not take another mate. But you refuse to leave me alone."

"Why, Goldenleaf?" came the small, dark tom. He did not hold the same dictatorship in his eyes. "I cannot live without you."

"Well," Goldenleaf responded. "I refuse to live with you." She turned and ran into the brush, towards home.

Firepaw gasped slightly, dropping the yarrow from his mouth. The black tom heard him, and straightened up, his eyes narrowing once again. Before Firepaw could run, the black tom was on top of him. "If you ever speak of what you saw," he snarled. "I will rip you throat out and feed the rest of you to the wolves. Understood?"

The light ginger tom squeaked, but nodded stiffly. The black tom held his ground for a moment, before he ran his claws through the apprentice's eyelid and padded off...

((And the plot thickens... Anyways, if you guys like Outcasts, check out my new story Purgatory.))


	11. Chapter Ten

"Dewstep tells me you are doing very well," said the white she-cat as she wrapped her tail around her daughter.

The dark ginger female looked up at her mother. "I don't believe so," she mewed. "Icepaw wins every battle."

"Oh, hush, now," whispered Snowshimmer. "He's bigger than you. Some day, I bet you will become the greatest warrior this clan has ever seen." She chuckled. "You might even become leader."

Bloodpaw giggled. "And maybe, I'll defeat the twolegs and bring the clan cat's out of hiding. And Starclan will hold a great celebration..."

At this point, the white tom hissed and disappeared into the brush. "That little, red excuse for a living being," he mumbled. "Never has a believable thought in her tiny mind." His claws racked over a small sapling, causing it's leaved to shred.

He looked up at the moon. It was full, but there would be no gathering tonight. A sound pulled his attention. He froze, but nothing emerged. He sniffed and padded on. I did not matter to him if he was caught. He's mother would reprimand him, and then go back to worshiping her puny-minded daughter.

He found his eyes drawn to the moon once again. Shapes began to form on it's surface...

_He sawtwo cats, their bodies shimmering with the light of the moon. Their forms did not seem familiar, yet he knew who each of them were. "Froststar," he hissed, but it was not his voice. "You shall leave this place now."_

_A new voice came, female. "Never, Blazestar." The jaw's of a moon figure opened and closed. "Skyclan needs me. I must return..."_

_Icepaw uttered a low chuckle. "Then we are done here," he felt his claws unsheathe._

_"Why are you dong this?" came the female voice. Icepaw felt a rushing in his head. The world went dark as a sharp yowl filled his ears..._

* * *

"Oh my Starclan, Firepaw," announced the golden Medicine Cat. "What have you done to yourself?"

The ginger tom pawed the earth. "I... fell down a ridge and scratched my eye on a tree branch."

"Well," continued Finchfeather. "It's fairly deep, but it can be fixed. Good thing you got that yarrow." She chuckled as she chewed the plant into a pulp. But the ginger apprentice's eyes darted warily.

* * *

A single form hovered on the edge of the thunderpath. His muscular, ginger body catching the light of each passing monster. He was counting as each creature passed, trying to time his jump perfectly.

As a single monster passed, his body sprinted onto the thunderpath, crossing the sunrise-bound path. But as he entered the sunset-bound path, his body froze.

The light from the oncoming monster filled his eyes, and he momentarily caught a glimpse of his family. Firepaw held a heavy scar. Icepaw's fur was clumped with blood. Bloodpaw stood with once eye permanently closed. And Snowshimmer...

The screech of the monster snapped his mind back to the present. With a leap, he avoided the head of the monster. But as the tail swung back at him, he felt a sharp pain in his hind legs. As the monster passed, the old ginger tom pulled himself from the road and fell into the brush...

((Thanks for the new review, by the way!))


	12. Author's Note

_((Hey there, Warrior lovers! Some of you may be reading this now wondering "Who the heck is this person?" That doesn't matter. What matters is the fact that I really wish I had made this plot line go somewhere else than where it is going. So, I have resolved to rewrite it. I originally intended for it to be a trilogy, but I feel like I'm just rambling so each installment isn't four sentences. And frankly, absolutely nothing important has happened. I'm thinking that I'll compress it into on awesomely action-packed story with less rambling (but hopefully the same amount of character development). I'll just leave this one up until I feel the need to take it down. Thank you for your time. Please enjoy the rest of your flight!))_


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